International Prices and Price Indexes

WWC snapshot of http://stats.bls.gov/intprice.htm taken on Sat Jun 10 19:48:39 1995

This program measures change in the prices of commodities exported from, or imported into, the United States.

Price indexes are available for nearly all merchandise categories. Published series are based on three different classification structures: The Standard International Trade Classification System (Rev. 2), End-Use groups, and the Harmonized System. Price indexes using the SIC-based classification system (Standard Industrial Classification) are available prior to 1993.
Selected categories of international services.
Quarterly data for selected series beginning in 1974 with complete coverage available from Septmber 1982 for imports and September 1983 for exports. Selected series are also available on a monthly basis beginning in 1989. All indexes will be available on a monthly basis by 1996.

Product groups covered account for nearly 100 percent of U.S. commodity import and exports, by value. Excludes works of art, selected special miscellaneous exports, and commercial aircraft. Data are published for approximately 280 End-Use groups, 300 SITC groups, and 320 Harmonized System groups.
Air passenger fares, import and international (foreign carriers) since second quarter of 1988, and export and international (domestic carriers) since the fourth quarter of 1986.
Ocean crude oil tanker freight, import and inbound since second quarter 1987.
Electricity, imported from Canada, since third quarter 1986.

Sample of approximately 4,100 U.S. exporters derived from shippers export declarations, and 4,400 U.S. importers derived from consumption entry documents; data collected on about 10,000 individual export items and 12,000 import items by mail questionnaire after interview.
Subset of approximately two-thirds of the quarterly database is used for the monthly indexes.
Weighted by 1990 U.S. export and import trade values.
Ocean crude oil tanker freight, U.S. Department Energy.
Electricity, National Energy Board of Canada.
Passenger fares, commercial airlines reservation systems.

Monthly news releaseùU.S. Import and Export Price Indexes. Electronic access available.
Data files on tape.
Historical data in Handbook of Labor Statistics.
Diskettes.
LABSTAT database.

Measurement of import and export price trends for detailed and aggregate product groups.
Analysis of effects of price changes on U.S. economy and balance of payments.
Exchange rate analysis.
Analysis of price behavior in international markets.
Basis for calculating changes in volume of U.S. exports and imports.

Continuing to shift data collection and publication from a quarterly to a monthly basis.
Expanding coverage of the international services sector.
Completing shift of data entry and index estimation operating system to a PC-LAN environment.
Incorporation of company weights into index calculation methods.

Export and/or import price indexes, with a combined total of about 900 series, (roughly evenly divided between the three classification structures, are available on a quarterly basis beginning, in some instances, as early as 1974. The SITC series tend to contain the most historical data. Selected series are also available on a monthly basis beginning in 1989. Coverage of 100 percent of the value of imported products began in September 1982 and a year later for exports.